The Jackfruit: The Jack of All Fruits

Updated on August 21, 2009

Jackfruit was used to dye the robes of these Buddhist Monks

Three-Fifths of a Royal Flush

Okay, so now I've completed the, "Trinity of Fruit," who rule the entire Fruit Kingdom of the World. Although not exactly known as "The Jack of All Fruits of the World," I'm giving it such a title because to me, it makes perfect sense as there is a "King" (Durian) and "Queen" (Mangosteen) of all Fruitdom! I hope that you agree, as the root word is implicitly, "Jack." Be sure to check out my other two imperial fruits: The Durian: King of All Fruits and The Mangosteen: Queen of All Fruits.

For the most part, westerners will find that the jackfruit
is more agreeable to work with when the fruit is full-grown yet unripe and so
has no real odor and is peeking in flavor.
Jackfruit is very high in vitamin A, fiber and starch. Most say that they prefer fried jackfruit over such fried favorites as
breadfruit and plantains. Important to
note is that when jackfruit is allowed to ripen, it would be wise to cut open
and extract seeds from the jackfruit, as its odor rivals that of its “King,”
the durian! In addition to being an
edible fruit, you’ll find that it has many other uses. Please enjoy.

The Indelible, Edible Jackfruit

The jackfruit can be found in India, Burma, Ceylon, southern China, Malaya, and the East Indies

The jackfruit is mild to taste when it is unripe

In the Lao language, the jackfruit is called, mak mii

Its appearance is similar to the durian but is a lot larger

Due to the fact that jackfruit is an excellent substitute for meat, its bulbs are sometimes referred to as "vegetable meat"

There between 100 and 500 seeds in a single jackfruit

Jackfruit trees grow between 30 and 70 feet tall

Jackfruit can grow to be as 3 feet long and up to 20 inches wide

A single jackfruit can weigh up to 110 pounds!

The
bulbs (meat) of the jackfruit can be enjoyed raw or cooked (with coconut
milk or otherwise); or made into ice cream, chutney, jam, jelly, paste or
can be canned in syrup (my favorite) with sugar or honey and citric acid.

The leaves of the jackfruit are used for wrapping in steamed Idlis

One of
the most popular dishes in South East Asia
is Jackfruit Curry

Papadums, which are made with jackfruit (similar to tortillas) are very popular in Goa and Mangalore India.

The
more crisp types of jackfruit are usually reserved for canning

Canned
jackfruit retains its quality for up to 63 weeks at room temperature

Frozen
jackfruit keeps for at least 2 years

The
fresh pulp of the jackfruit is sometimes called “vegetable meat.”

When
jackfruit is boiled in milk and then cooled, the soluble reduction will
then congeal and form a delicious custard

Ripe
bulbs can be dried and then fried in oil and salted and can be eaten like
potato chips.

Ripe
bulbs, when fermented and distilled, producs a potent liquor

In Sri Lanka, jackifruit is smoked so it can be consumed when it is out of season

Jackfruit
seeds can be boiled or fried and eaten and full of starches and natural fibers

Jackfruit
seeds taste very much like chestnuts

Jackfruit
seeds can also be canned in brine, curry, or tomato sauce

The
seeds of a jackfruit are often included in curry dishes all around south Asia and South East Asia

It is believed that jackfruit is the basis for Juicy Fruits' chewing gum

The company Vitamin Water makes a jackfruit/guava drink with theanine and vitamin B

When
the seeds of a jackfruit are roasted, they can be ground to make a flour
which is blended with wheat flour for baking

Tender
jackfruit leaves and young male flower clusters may be cooked and served
as vegetables.

Other Uses of Jackfruit (wood)

The
wood from a Jackfruit tree or, Jackwood is termite-proof and so is an important source of timber in Ceylon.

Jackwood
is also resistant to fungal and bacterial decay.

Jackwood
is also commonly used for furniture, masts, oars, brush backs, and even
musical instruments

Its strength
is 75 to 80% that of tea wood.

Jackwood
was used to build palaces in Bali and
Macassar

Due to
limited supplies of Jackwood, it was considered sacred and so was reserved
for building temples in Indochina.

The
branches of a Jackfruit tree is also used to produce fire by friction in
religious ceremonies in Malabar

When
the sawdust of Jackwood is boiled along with alum, a rich yellow dye is
created, which is then commonly used for dyeing silk and the robes of
Buddhist monks (See picture above).

The
roots of old Jackfruit trees are coveted for carving and picture framing.

Almost There! (Hub 27/30)

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Ha! They remind of the movie "Cocoon" the way their shaped. I love them chilled from the can, personally. For some reason or another, I like cling-on (not Klingon) peaches that way too. Thanks, UW.

emohealer 7 years ago from South Carolina

Incredible! I have traveled but not to many of these places as I can now see jackfruit is a must have. So many uses and so large, wow, you have really opened my eyes and world to an amazing fruit and tree, I am going now to read the sister hubs on The Durian and Mangosteen. Thank You!

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

It's interesting to note that the jackfruit really is the "Jack of All Trades," as it has an unlimited capacity to help us in so many ways. I've found healing properties of jackfruit as well but somehow forgot to add them in.

I look forward to your comments, emohealer, as always. Thank you!

Silverlining 7 years ago from Port Elizabeth

Wow! This is so interesting! I wish I could taste it! ;-)

Love your hubs, keep them coming!

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

Thank you, Silverlining. I'm glad I was able to share this with you. Maybe I can send you a can or two :D Anything for a fan!

sarovai 7 years ago

Jack fruit, one of my favourite. Thank u for very nice hub about Jack fruit.

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

You're welcome, sarovai. Thank you for coming by!

cosette 7 years ago

omgsh - if i saw those on the tree and didn't know what they were i would have thought they were some kind of tree lizard :)

that papadum and those chips look good. i can't believe the cross-section - it almost looks like decorative art for a coffee table. amazing!

Davinagirl3 7 years ago

I have heard of the jackfruit, but I have never heard of the benefits. I am more of a veggie person. I don't eat a lot of fruit. I know I should, but I would prefer veggies for snacks. I will have to try a jackfruit.

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

Cosette-I actually grew up trying all of these different kinds of fruits as a dessert or as part of a meal. Many times it was unbeknownst to me! My parents would just kind of slide the plate or bowl over and say, "Eat this, it's good for you" and I would oblige! Thanks!

Davinagirl3-You'll in luck as the jackfruit is both a vegetable and a fruit! At its unripened state, its a vegetable for cooking and eating and then at its ripe stage, it's a fruit. I'm sure you'll like it (there I go again pushing fruit on people: Fruit Pusher)

maven101 7 years ago from Northern Arizona

Never had a jackfruit...probably never will ( at least not in Arizona )...

My favorite fruit ( yes, its a fruit ) is an avocado...the sexist fruit on the planet...creamy, smooth, best eaten nude....Larry

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

I personally like eating avocado with a sprinkle of sugar. It's absolutely delicious that way! It's a shame that you can't get jackfruit where you are, Larry. It's great chilled and from the can.

expectus 7 years ago from Land Downunder

great hub I really enjoy your fruity hubs :) I really want to eat some more exotic fruits

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

Haha! Thanks, expectus. I have more exotic fruits to showcase, but for now, I'm gonna chill out a bit on them (maybe put them on ice as it were). I hope you get the opportunity to try them!

emievil 7 years ago from Philippines

I love jackfruit. We used to have the tree in our backyard and the fruits it bore look like the ones in your picture. Unfortunately, the tree had to be cut down when it was already "old". We have another one growing right now but I heard it takes years before it can bear any fruit =(. Too bad. Anyway, thanks for featuring it here in your hub.

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

That is so good to hear, Ernie. I wish I lived somewhere where I had a jackfruit tree too! You're so lucky to have one. As you already know, it has so many uses...I'm thinking about doing a hub on bamboo, but I might I need a bit of a break :P I'm all fruited out right now! Thanks for coming over!

timetoshine 7 years ago from NC

These are amazing. I live in Florida, and Jack Fruit trees are pretty common. My instructor at school promises to bring some in for us soon...can't wait to give it a try! Great informative article by the way!

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

Ha! I really like your profile name! Just a tip--to be on the safe side, open the jackfruit up while your outdoors. It launches an odor that might you may not be accustomed to, unless the jackfruit is really unripe. But the biggest problem you might have is deciding what to do with it once you open it, as you have so many different options! Thanks for reading!

shamelabboush 7 years ago

Oh wow! All that in a single fruit? Well, what do you know!!!! Great info dear.

Ultimate Hubber 7 years ago

So, this is the ultimate fruit!

I have become a fan of this fruit after reading your hub.

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

Shamelabboush-I like to call the jackfruit the swiss army knife of all fruits! Thank you again for coming by!

Ultimate Hubber-If you were stranded on a desert island and could only one tree to have what would it be? Good question, right? Thanks again for stopping by!

EdenvaleShoppes 7 years ago

Informative Hub with nice photos..

Thanks!!

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

Thank you very much for you response. I glad you enjoyed it!

Camping Dan 7 years ago

I have never heard of this fruit, but it sounds delicious. Of course it looks like it is well on the way to becoming the next big thing that people think will cure them of whatever.

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

Sadly enough, this may well be right on. I don't normally bash corporations, but Xango is the perfect example of this. The make it sound like their product will make you invincible as they make overly outlandish claims without any proof...They are in a lot of trouble with the FDA as we speak.

The jackfruit just may be widely available very soon, as whole plantations of them are being cultivated in many states in the U.S., namely Florida. I just hope the next wave of companies don't follow in Xango's footsteps.

Patty Inglish, MS 7 years ago from North America

Thsi sounds very good as a substitute for meat. There are so many fruits in the Eastern Hempisphere that we are missing out on the the Western half. I'll look for some canned jackfruit. Thanks!

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

Thank you Patty. I must have said this a dozen times now, but I prefer the sweetened canned variety of jackfruit. It so refreshing on a hot day when chilled from the fridge. The unripened canned variety is really amazing for so many meals. I hope you enjoy it!

Chris Eddy111 7 years ago from Ontario, Canada

dohn, I haven't eaten jackfruit in many, many years. It grows in Jamaica too where I was born. Thanks for the memories. Gotta find me some jackfruit now.

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

That's great to hear, Chris! My jackfruit supply is completely wiped out. Perhaps you have an Asian store close by that might sell it. Many Indian stores will have it in stock too. Thank you for visiting me!

Wife Who Saves 7 years ago

I've never heard of jackfruit. I'll be looking for an ethnic store that carries it. Thanks for an interesting hub.

myawn 7 years ago from Florida

I never heard of it before now didn't know it grows in Florida either. I would like to taste some. Thanks!

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

Wife Who Saves--That's wonderful news. Both Asian and Indians stores will carry canned jackfruit of the ripened and sweetened variety. If and when you do try it, please let know! I'd like to hear what you think of it.

Thank you, mattn78. I hope you can utilize the jackfruit into your diet as it's very healthy for you.

L. Marie Figtree 7 years ago from South Bay, CA

The first time I was introduced to the jackfruit was in the form of a Filipino dessert, a filled and fried egg roll, called "Turon" - so sweet and tasty! Talk about a great comfort food, and who knew it was such a highly versatile fruit as well? Here's a link to the recipe - enjoy! http://www.filipinodesserts.net/filipino-desserts/...

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

Thank you. I was surprised myself when doing the research. There are no other fruits that I know of that are as useful as this. I'll be sure to visit you.

Lgali 7 years ago

This is so interesting hub I like all pictures

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

Thanks, Lgali! I appreciate your comments!

Racheal Ambrose 7 years ago from Indiana

Interesting. Never heard of this before

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

I definitely recommend trying it Racheal! Thanks for visiting me.

katyzzz 7 years ago from Sydney, Australia

I'm ready for some already

Ultimate Hubber 7 years ago

Yea, good question but a hard one...

The only tree I was allowed to have would be an orange tree.

Two reasons for this: First, it is 'not' the favorite fruit of mine but one of my favorites.

Second, it will be a bit refreshing to have an orange there in the desert instead of mango, lychee or other fruits I love.

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

katyzzz-Great to hear! There are so many different kinds of fruits that many people across the world are still not akin to. Please do.

Ulitmate Hubber-Very interesting to hear...One of my fans told me that he went to Lebanon in the early 1960's and tried an orange their and couldn't remember, for the life of him its name. Until this day, he can't find anything even remotely close to that orange elsewhere in the world. It's amazing how our memory improves over time for the things that brought us so much satisfaction! I hope you get your tree, UH. Make sure you let me know when you do!

kephrira 7 years ago from Birmingham

wow, that's loads of fruitilicous information. I'd never heard of the Jackfruit before so it was an interestin read

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

Thank you Kephira for fanning me and reading up on the jackfruit. It certainly is a diverse fruit. About my profile pic, you're the first to comment on it after all this time I switched! Thanks for recognizing what it is! I was (and still am) a HUGE Transformers fan. Thank you for that!

An Archigirl 7 years ago

Hiya! Dohn 121! thanks for stopping by my hubs and taking the time to leave feedback-I enjoyed your last hub on the Durian Fruit and the same goes for this one.

Jack fruit is quite delicious when ripe---but I once tasted a jackfruit curry made from unripe jackfruit and I was not too impressed- the texture was quite fleshy and it's smell far too pungent to enjoy the dish.It's also interesting to see how many products are available-I don't see any Jackfruit ice cream though?

Seeing as you are the Jack of All fruits here on hub pages- how about a hub on the dwarf of all fruits(citrus fruits)- The Kumquat? [P.S. Thats if you don't already have it on your list:]

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

It's a pleasure! Hmmm...Jackfruit ice cream sounds like it would be a hit. One of my favorite ice cream flavors is peach as it has chunks of peach (from Baskin Robbins) in it, just like their strawberry ice cream. I suppose I could make my own using the same concept with can-sweetened jackfruit (which you should try!). I guess that anything is possible, right?

That's a shame that you didn't enjoy the curry. I take it you just don't like the texture? I guess the jackfruit isn't for everyone. Bamboo might suit your tastes and textures more.

I haven't thought about Kumquat yet and barely know anything about it, but it's definitely a consideration, as that's exactly what research is for! Thank you for dropping in, Archgirl! I appreciate it!

awsydney 7 years ago from Sydney, Australia

Fantastic info here Dohn, what extensive research you have done! I love this fruit, the flavour and aroma of a good one is just absolutely awesome, especially in the ice dessert! Yum!

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

I sometimes wonder what fruit people would choose to have if they were stranded on a desert island...Jackfruit should definitely be in the top five, simply because its versatility! Thanks!

Shalini Kagal 7 years ago from India

I love it dohn - it's great raw or ripe and can be cooked/eaten in so many ways! Love the pictures!

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

Thank you, Shalini! I love it especially in curries, usually chicken or beef and very spicy! Geez, this is making me hungry :D

tonymac04 7 years ago from South Africa

Fasxcinating! Never seen one but I hope to!

Thanks for the info.

Love and peace

Tony

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

That's great to hear, Tony. I hope you get the opportunity! Thanks again!

stranded07 7 years ago from Quezon City, Philippines

Wow, looks delicious. I like eating the fresh one when its ripe. So yummy

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

Thanks for the comment, stranded07! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Aqua 7 years ago from California

Wow - this is very interesting! Thanks for writing about the very versatile Jackfruit. It seems like a pretty valuable fruit since (among all it's other great qualities) not only can you eat it but it's termite proof too! What a combo!

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

Right? I hadn't know any of these amazing facts until I began thoroughly researching it. I especially like how the older jackfruit wood becomes more valuable over time--so much that it becomes exclusive only to monks for use in their temples. I don't know of any other trees that exhibit such properties! Thanks Aqua!

An Archigirl 7 years ago

Hiya Dohn!I'm surprised that you dont know much about the Kumquat-it's right next to the jackfruit in the first photo of this hub.I'm quite certain that it also has it's roots in asia!Kumquats are quite delicious little devils:)a little sour but great! tastes great in a pickle.Look forward to seeing what you come up with!

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

Okay, I will take you up on it, but just give some time! I have yet to taste one but those are readily available, rather than the jackfruit, mangosteeen, and durian. I do like just about anything that's picked too. I'll be sure to give it a shot! Thanks.

chenmikehk 7 years ago from North Borneo, Malaysia

Another informative hub. I like jackfruits but tarap taste a little better. However the jackfruits are sweeter and crunchier.

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

Hey, chenmikehk. Thank you for visiting. You have to admit that the Jackfruit has many uses, right? I actually prefer the jackfruit sweetened from a can, like cling-on peaches.

chenmikehk 7 years ago from North Borneo, Malaysia

Yes the jackfruit is more versatile. Cling-on peaches? LOL

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

Yeah, I know. But that's what they're called, LOL. Thanks for reading this one!

wordsword 7 years ago

That was really fabulous and i now knew why some musical instruments like veena are made up of jack wood, thank you

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

That's great to know, wordsword! Thank you for making mention of that! Also, thank you for taking my advice reading this hub! I appreciate it.

Benjimester 7 years ago from San Diego, California

I love Jackfruit!! I had them all the time in Southeast Asia. Jackfruit shakes, which you mentioned, are the best things ever. I didn't know that Jackfruit tree wood is termite proof. This is a very thorough hub. I'm impressed.

dohn121 7 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

Hey, thanks, Benjimester! Yeah, I was surprised myself over how dynamic this little fruit/tree really is...Seriously, if you were indeed stranded on a desert island, the Jackfruit and Jackfruit tree would be like your best friend, as you could use it for a hundred different things. Yeah, jackfruit shakes are pretty darn good. Thanks again!

nooyawka212 6 years ago from Noo Yawk

Great hub! One of your pictures was taken in Bangalore. I lived in Bangalore for a year. Street vendors sell jackfruit from their pushcarts. They're all over the place in season. Like most food in India, the price is ridiculously low by American standards. It's amazing that a seller can earn a day's wage by selling a jackfruit or two on the street. It's a different way of life.

By the way, you commented a few comments ago about cling-on peaches. Cling-on refers to the fact that some of the peach remains clinging to the peach pit after you cut it open and try to eat it. The opposite of cling-on peaches is freestone peaches. As the name says, the 'meat' of the peach does not stick on the pit or 'stone'

dohn121 6 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

I think it fascinating that you were able to visit Bangalore. I'm sure that you experienced a bit of culture shock while there and for someone to actually make a living on one or two jackfruit is pretty amazing! I wish I could live off of one or two Google clicks :D

Wow! I had no idea about cling-on (not Klingon, lol) peaches or freestone peaches! I'm going to have to use that tidbit while mingling at a dinner party!

Thanks so much for commenting! I'm glad that you liked it.

nooyawka212 6 years ago from Noo Yawk

Yes, Bangalore was fascinating. Some of India is very modern and at the cutting edge of the computer industry. Some of it is another world. I have a whole blog about my trip, but hubpages policy about connecting to other places is very confusing (and they are penalizing me for an innocent connection). One of the pictures I took was of two huge platters of fresh fruit and veggies I bought at the local stand. I mean huge platters. The whole thing cost about $2. We lived on about $10 per week for food. Yes, you could live on Google clicks!

The two types of fruit are called cling (not usually cling-on) and freestone. You get the idea. Think of peaches. One of the great things about India is the mangos. Biologists have been able to grow freestone peaches. But they haven't mastered freestone mangos. Oh how I wish they could!

dohn121 6 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

Freestone mangoes would most certainly be a popular item. You would be one rich man if you could pull that one off. Shame about the the link--I'm guessing that the link was self-promotional, which is a no-no in Hub Land.

Thanks for sharing that!

Tafari 6 years ago

Ya mon di jackfruit numba one!

dohn121 6 years ago from Hudson Valley, New York Author

Thank you, Tafari. The Jackfruit is arguably the world's most versatile fruit!